Matairuka Village Councilor Mr Gelema Gaba is greatly relieved after his recent call to have a medical officer posted to his village was acted upon with The Salvation Army sending one medical officer to officially resume work at the aid post.
The villagers who have been accessing basic health services from Kwikila Town and the neighboring villages of Sivitatana and Boregaina with some even travelling to Port Moresby to seek health care will no longer have to travel far as the Aid Post which remained closed for 12 months will now resume operations as soon as preparations are complete.
Mr Gaba confirmed with this newsroom that the village community has already started work by cleaning around the Aid Post area and assisting where possible to have the facility ready for operations as soon as possible.
“I am now relieved and it’s like a burden has been taken off my shoulder because now my people will not have to travel far to access basic health care,” Mr Gaba said.
Mr Gaba said he has received advise from the new medical officer that the Aid Post will resume operations as soon as necessary medical equipment have been installed.
According to the medical officer, this will take about a week before the Aid Post can resume full operations and start treating patients again.
The councilor has made a call to villagers and those from nearby villages who will be accessing health services from the Aid Post to look after the facility and the people managing it so that the service can be ongoing without any hiccups.
“I would like to issue a friendly reminder to the people to make sure that the facilities and workers also are well looked after so that health services can continue to be made available for all to access,” he said.
Mr Gaba also expressed his gratitude to The Salvation Army for bringing health services to their village and acknowledged the great work they have done so far with regard to the providence of affordable basic health services in the village.
